TAKING UP THE CROSS Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings:

Is 50:5-9a

Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Jas 2:14-18

Mk 8:27-35

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34)

 

Some years ago, I was teaching a course on the Gospel of Mark. We got to the midpoint, chapter 8, and I was waxing eloquent on the portion we hear in today’s Gospel, reflecting on what taking up the cross might mean for us, in a context where literal crucifixion was not a danger. One of the students raised her hand insistently and I reluctantly stopped my lecture and called on her.  She declared this to be the most dangerous text in the Bible and wished we could rip it out. I had the presence of mind to ask her to explain further why she felt that way. She went on to describe how a majority of the women with whom she worked in a shelter for battered women and children had internalized this text in such a way that they thought that by enduring every kind of suffering, including physical and verbal abuse from their batterers, they were faithfully carrying their cross with Jesus. I was appalled at such a misunderstanding of the meaning of “taking up the cross.” I soon discovered that my student’s experience was replicated in vast numbers in most every corner of the globe.

 While such a spirituality of the cross has enabled many women to endure great suffering and to give meaning to it, Jesus’s invitation to take up one’s cross actually refers to a very different kind of suffering. He is speaking to his disciples about the suffering that is likely to befall a person for being his follower. Illness or disease is not “the cross” in the sense in which Jesus speaks of it in today’s gospel. There is nothing particularly Christian about this kind of suffering; it can happen to anyone. Nor is suffering that comes from abuse or injustice something that one should “take up.” Jesus confronted and tried to stop that kind of suffering whenever he encountered it. The cross consists rather in the negative consequences to which Jesus’s followers willingly expose themselves as the cost of being his disciples.

 Hand in hand with taking up the cross is denial of self. This does not refer to ascetic acts, like giving up something you enjoy during Lent. Such practices can feed a spirituality of denial of self; but when Jesus enjoins denial of self, he speaks of a spirituality by which one chooses daily to place the common good and Christ at the center, not one’s own desires. It is a free choice to live a life of ever-deepening self-surrender to love.

 Just as people who commit themselves to one another for life must constantly give of themselves out of love for the other, so the love into which Jesus invites disciples is a costly one that asks more and more of us. It is a freely chosen self-surrender in love, which implies that only those who have a healthy sense of self and the freedom to choose to surrender themselves can authentically deny themselves and take up their cross. The cross of which Jesus speaks is not a suffering imposed on persons who are downtrodden.

 The second reading today gives some concrete examples of this kind of costly love. If one encounters a brother or sister without adequate clothing or food or shelter, to deny oneself and take up the cross demands letting go of time and resources in self-surrender to the neediest ones. Simply talking about faith but not making it visible in concrete deeds of self-surrender is not authentic discipleship. Trying to skirt the cost of such love, as Peter did when he insisted to Jesus that the cross was not necessary, is an all too-human way of thinking. To think as God does results in godly action, a lifelong surrender to a free and costly love.

 

These reflections are adapted from Barbara E. Reid, Abiding Word. Sunday Reflections for Year B.  Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2011. Pp. 104-105.

 

Remembering . . .

 Lord, take me where You want me to go;

Let me meet who You want me to meet;

Tell me what You want me to say; and

Keep me out of your way.

father mychal judge - FDNY - died 9/11/01

Fr. Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the New York City Fire Dept., died in the process of giving the last rites to a fire fighter who perished in the tragedy at the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001. This prayer was found in his pocket.

A Seeker's Prayer . . .

 

A Prayer by St. Anselm of Canterbury

  O my God, teach my heart where and how to seek You,

where and how to find You.

You are my God and You are my all and I have never seen You.
You have made me and remade me,
You have bestowed on me all the good things I possess,
Still I do not know You.
I have not yet done that for which I was made.
Teach me to seek You.
I cannot seek You unless You teach me
or find You unless You show Yourself to me.
Let me seek You in my desire,
let me desire You in my seeking.
Let me find You by loving You,
let me love You when I find You.

Amen

---

A Franciscan Prayer for Peace

 

      Lord, make us instruments of your Peace.  In a world all too prone to violence and revenge, we commit ourselves to the Gospel values of mercy, justice, compassion, and love.

 

We will seek daily to promote forgiveness and healing in our hearts, our families, and our world. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; Where there is injury, let us cultivate peace.

 

Fear and distance prevent people from recognizing all as brothers and sisters; tensions lead to violence and mistrust; We will strive to honor the dignity that God places in each and every human person.

 

Grant that we may not seek to be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. Our failure to understand the other can create exclusion in all its negative forms – racism, marginalization of those who are poor, sick, the immigrant; it can also create situations of domination, occupation, oppression and war.

 

We pledge to seek the way of solidarity, to create hearts, homes, and communities where all people will experience inclusion, hospitality, and understanding.

For it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned and in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

 

Let us Pray:

Lord God, create in us:

-the Capacity to hear and understand the voices of those who suffer from every form of violence, injustice, and dehumanization;

 

-the Openness to receive and honor people from other cultures, languages, religious traditions, and geographical regions;

 

-the Creativity to explore new ways of communication and dialogue through

      music, poetry, performing arts, and the mass media;

 

-the Audacity to undertake the building of communities of forgiveness, healing,

      and reconciliation.

To God who is above all and in all are the glory and the honor. Amen

A Blessing for Today . . .

 

A Blessing Prayer

What is a blessing but a rain of grace falling generously into the lives of those in need; and who among us is without need?

May the Spirit touch your spirit in this (morning, midday, evening) pause.

May this day be a pathway strewn with blessings.

May your work this day be your love made visible.

May you breathe upon the wounds of those with whom you work.

May you open yourself to God’s breathing.

May you honor the flame of love that burns inside you.

May your voice this day be a voice of encouragement.

May your life be an answer to someone’s prayer.

May you own a grateful heart.

May you have enough joy to give you hope, enough pain to make you wise.

May there be no room in your heart for hatred.

May you be free from violent thoughts.

When you look into the window of your soul may you see the face of God.

May the lamp of your life shine upon all you meet this day.

                                                  Macrina Wiederkehr

                                                  -Seven Sacred Pauses

A grace and vision . . .

I saw that [God] is everything which is good, as I understand.  And in this [God] showed me something small, no bigger than a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed to me, and it was as round as a ball.  I looked at it with the eye of my understanding and thought: What can this be?  I was amazed that it would last, for I thought that because of its littleness it would suddenly have fallen into nothing.  And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and always will, because God loves it; and thus everything has being through the love of God.     (Julian of Norwich, Showings)

Back to the Present

 

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

 

Readings: Is 35:4-7a Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 Jas 2:1-5 Mk 7:31-37 Dianne Bergant, CSA In the movie Back to the Future, an enterprising character portrayed by Michael J. Fox conspires with a brilliant, eccentric scientist to drive a transformed Delorean into the past in order to do something that will change the present. It is a delightful farce with both humor and suspense. In the end, the hero is left with an appreciation of his present life. The readings for this Sunday invite us to move through time, but in the opposite direction. They have a clear eschatological or future focus. In other words, rather than look to the past for the sake of the present, they have us look to the future – but still for the sake of the present. In the oracle of salvation taken from the Book of Isaiah, God promises to come with healing and blessings. Those who are in any way prevented from living life to the fullest will be freed from impediments and will sing and dance with joy. The life-giving water promised symbolizes whatever is needed to achieve this peace and fullness. Though the standards by which we live may differ one from another, this is the kind of future for which we all yearn. In the gospel account, we see Jesus fulfilling the promise that God made. His ministry establishes God’s reign in which healing and the blessings of life are no longer merely expectations of the future. Through the power of Jesus, they unfold before our very eyes, or at least before the eyes of those who witness Jesus’ wondrous deeds. The future is now in the present, and it did not arrive in the wake of some delightful science fiction farce. This future is real, even though one needs eyes of faith to recognize it. The responsorial psalm picks up the theme found in these two readings. As we pray it, we rejoice that God’s promise for peace and fullness of life has been kept. God has indeed removed the obstacles that diminish life. We rejoice because “the God of Jacob keeps faith forever.” No one would dare suggest that these two readings and psalm response picture situations as fanciful as those produced by Hollywood. However, unless we too can step into the mysterious future that they envision, they will remain simply religious stories, and we will sit in the audience watching someone else’s drama unfold. But how do we take that step into the future? The author of the Letter of James offers an example of how this can be done. He describes a situation with which we are all only too familiar. Who of us has not been impressed when a fashionably dressed woman or man joins our gathering? If this is a person of renown, we might fall all over ourselves showing deference. ‘Sit here, you can see better. Can I get you something to drink?’ Do we show that same kind of courtesy to those among us who are less fortunate or well-known? Is the one who answers the phone less significant than the one who pays the salary? James insists: “Show no partiality.” In a society like ours, where we dote on people who have money or power or celebrity, this mandate is counter-cultural. We cannot deny that there are differences in social status. However, if we show respect to all people, regardless of the differences, treating them as children of God, we will be taking a step into that future of peace and blessing. In a very real sense, that future will be made present. As stated above, we look to the future for the sake of the present. This is not the same as living in the future because the present is too painful or just plain boring. Nor is it the same as planning the future, which seems to be a favorite pastime of many people. The future referred to in these readings is not simply the one we want for ourselves. It is God’s future, the one that God wants for us. This is the future depicted in God’s promises, the future in which we will be freed from whatever prevents us from living life to the full. Though it is God’s future, it does not simply dawn upon us one day. In a very real sense, this future, which is really the reign of God, takes shape when we make a decision to live God’s promises in the present. God holds out the possibility of this future, but we must decide to step into it. The psalm offers other examples of how we might step into that future. It will dawn upon us when we work to ensure justice for those oppressed, food for those who are hungry, freedom for those unjustly held captive, sight to those who cannot see, relief to those crushed by life, protection to widows and orphans, and respect to strangers. This is the future promised by God, and each time we accomplish such feats we bring God’s future ‘back to the present.’   Praying with scripture Who do you know that has brought peace and fullness to the world? What did they do? How might you bring the future of peace and fulfillment into the present? Go out of your way to show respect to someone who is normally overlooked or disdained.

September 5 ~ Remembering Saint Teresa of Calcutta

 

Quotes 'n Stories:
• “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” -Mother Teresa
 
• Advice to a Novice - “The story is told of what she said to a novice gingerly cleaning an ugly wound in a woman's neck, as if repelled by what she saw. Mother Teresa told her that was not how to do the task. She took over a scalpel and quickly excised the nasty ulcer.
 ‘You must understand,’ she said, ‘that this is Jesus. We are cleaning the wounds  of the Lord.’ She then turned to a reporter witnessing this encounter: ‘If we didn't  believe this -- that this is the body of Christ -- we could never do it. No money  could make us do it. I wouldn't ask these fine young women to take on a life like  this. We are not social workers. We are seeing and touching the heart of Christ --  twenty-four hours a day.’" –Mother Teresa

• “I will never forget one day when I met a lady who was dying of cancer and I could see the way she was struggling with that terrible pain. And I said to her, I said, ‘You know this is but the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close to Him on the cross that He can kiss you.’ And she joined her hands together and said, 'Mother Teresa, please tell Jesus to stop kissing me.'” –Mother Teresa
 
• “One night a man came to our house and told me, ‘There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days.’ I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, ‘Where did you go?’ She gave me this simple answer, ‘To my neighbors-they are hungry also.’
I was not surprised that she gave–because poor people are generous. But I was  surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we  are so focused on ourselves we have no time for others.” –Mother Teresa

• A successful businessman traveled to India to spend a month working in one of Mother Teresa's shelters. He longed to meet the tiny nun, but Mother Teresa was traveling, and it wasn't until the day before his departure that he received an audience. When he was finally in her presence, much to his surprise, he burst into tears. All the times when he'd been self-centered, busy or focused on his own gain flashed before his eyes, and he felt an enormous sadness that he had missed so many opportunities in his life to give of himself and his resources. Without a word, Mother Teresa walked over to where he was seated, put her hands on his shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. "Don't you know," she said, "that God knows you are doing the best that you can." 

(Story from Chicken Soup for the Soul At Work by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte, Tim Clauss)
 

Welcome Autumn!

 

Fall Song

Another year gone, leaving everywhere
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,
the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back
from the particular island
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere
except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle
of unobservable mysteries – - -roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This
I try to remember when time’s measure
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn
flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay – - – how everything lives, shifting
from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.
-Mary Oliver

September 8, 2024: Mary Jo Iozzio Preaches for the 23rd Sunday in Ordina...